Shale planer



FFII. o

, lmzn'toz JOSEPH VLPowELL,

f me;

2 Sheets-Sheet l J. M. POWELL SHALE PLANER Filed June 22 May 8, 1923.

May 8, 1923.v

J. M. POWELL S HALE PLAN ER Fild June 22. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 8, 1923.

UNITED; STATES PUNT rmi JOSEPH M. POWELL, or BROOKLYN INDIANA, AsSIeNoR 'ro EAGLE IRON WORKS, or i DES MOINES, IoWA, A coRronATIoN or IOWA.

p sHALn PLANER.

Application filed June 22, 1921. Serial'No. 479,483. v

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. POWELL, citizen 'of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county 'of Morgan and State of Indiana, have invented a newand useful Shale Planer, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of my invention-to produce a shale planer which will cut in the arc of a circle and may be fed forward along the center radius of such arc;\and to provide a simple Aand effective arrangement for feeding the machine forward,'preferably'along the same railroad track on which the hopper-cars run whichfcarry away' the shale f fromthe l planer; and for swinging the planer in its cutting arc; andfor' discl1arg-- ing the cut shale into. a fixed hopper for all positions lwhich the machine takes in its swinging movement,which hopper ini turn may discharge when per-cars. p Y

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention: Fig. l is a. side elevation of a shale planer Iembodying my invention, with the shalebank and parts of the planer itself in section; Fig. 2 is an enlargedsection through the rear end Vof the'swinging frame and the pivot car; Fig. 3 is a sectionronl` the line 3--3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan, on a somewhat smaller Scale, of the mechanism shown inFig. 2; and Figs.` 5 and 6 are sections on the lines 5-'5 and `6--6 respectively -of Fig. 3.`r f 'A The main frame 10 is yshown as of' afgeneral triangular form. At its rear apex the frame 10 has a pivotal mounting on a vertical pivotal aXis on a pivot car 11 the wheels 120f Whichrun on av railroad track 13 adjacent the face of the shale bank. The forwardl end of the frame is supported onffan arc-shapedrail 14, upon 'which rest rollers mounted beneath and supporting the frame l0 andl paralleling the two legs of suchtri angular frame. Conveniently a single roller 15 is provided'beneath one ofthe legs of thel frame 10, being mounted in'suitable bearing brackets 16 attachedto and projecting down- Ward'from the frame; this `roller 15a' is a meresupporting roller. Beneath the `other leg ofthe frame 10 is a driving-:roller 17, supported in bearing bracketsl 18 vfastened to and extending downward .froinftlie frame 10, and this driving roller 17 preferably does not` directly engage the rail 14 but instead desired into the hop-.

rests upon and between two rollers 19 which in turn rest on thel rail 14 and are held from separating by links 20 at. their ends.- This double-roller engagement with .the rail 14v increases the traction', to make more etlicient the driving of the front end of the frame 1() rollers 19. Y y.

Mounted on the'frame 10 is a superstructure 25, which includes an upwardly` prolili jecting chain-guide 26 atfthe, forwardl end. f

of the frame 10, which chainguide 26'is as' high as thetop of the shale bank 27 from which shale is to be cut,and isQprovi-ded with suitable sprockets .'28 and 29 at the top `and bottomfor the cutter chain 30 tov travel over. The chain-guide 26 is suitably guyed by guy Wires 31 from `the rear of the. superstructure 25, and preferably inclines forward at its upperend so that the out onthel shale bank 27 will not be quite vertical. The

details of the cutter chain form no part of the present invention, but such cutter-chain usually comprises two parallelchain members 30al and 30h, cross-connected byy bars 32 which carry' the cutters 33; and preferably these cutter-carrying bars 32 are prevented fromY tilting under thereaction of the cut` ting by tension chains 34 connected to other cross-bars 35 in the manner set forth in my (1o-pending application. Serial Number 479,

482, of even filing date herewith;

The'cutter chain 30 passes over a driving Isprocket 36in addition to the `two sprockets 28 and 29. This driving sprocket is mount'- ed on `the superstructure 25 neary the rear 38, mounted on the frame 10,'t`o cause Vthe cutter lchain tov travel inthe direction of the `arrow so. thaty the cutters 33 travell downward along-the face of the shale bank r27.

`end thereof, on a shaft 37, which'shaft is Y suitably driven ,from a main driving rnotor drive comprising a belt 39 connecting suit- 'i able'pulleys on the shaftV of the motor 38 and on a shaft 40, and intermeshing gears'41 on the shafts v4() and 37. 1 The cutter chain 30 between the sprockets 29.. and-36 travels lin a U-.shaped trough 45, so that the shalev which is cut'v bv the cutters 33 and falls tothe bottom@ of the shale bank is pickedup by the cross-bars 32.and 35,'

which are also scrapers, and carried up such trough, as is clear from Fig. l. The trough extends beyond the sprocket 36, and above such sprocket has a conveyor belt 4:6 which carries thecut shale "onfupward rto the'top of such trough after the pushing action of the Athe frame 10 is mounted on suchicar.

.theposition of the shift lever 60.

`conveyor belt.

The upper end of the trough a5 discharges into a hopper 50, which is supported on'lthe upper end of a ypost 5l carried by theipivot car l1 just behind thepivotal aXis on 'wlriilch ie rear end of the trough L5 projects barely beyond this vpivotal axis, so that itk willdis- 7charge into the hopper 50 for all positions which. the frame l0 takesas it swings, and will distributethe shale over such hopper. The hopper is stationary, and at its lower endis provided with -the usualhand-controlled gate 52'whichwhen opened permits thehopper 50 to dischargeintoa hopper-car 53 mounted on :the sa'metrack 13 which supports-the'pivot car vIl. Formutual steadying, the rearfend ofthe superstructure -fis r connected to the hopper 50 by ay V -bracefh whichis pivotally connected to :the hopper 50 on the same vertical axisonywhichthe Vframe lO is connected to the pivot .car l1.

The ydriving roller 17 yhas a e reversible drive from any convenient source. Conveniently this is from the shaft 55 of the sprocket-29y which shaft is connected through a chain 56an'd suitablezsprockets to a shaft 57 on which is splinedla` sleeveS carrying two oppositely facingbevel gears 59 either of which" bythe shifting of the Ysleeve 53 bv a shift-:lever 60 may be moved into mesh with a bevel gealr 6l on a shaft 62 whichis connected by suitable bevel gearing63 to the shaft of the driving roller 17'.` Thus the ,driving roller 17 is driven from ythe motor 38, in one direction or-the other: according ,to

The machineis fed forward intoy the shale bank by feeding the pivot .car :ll` forward.

For Athus'feeding the pivotcar ll,.such car -isconnected by a forwardly extending pull# l .screwl65 yto an internallythreaded cross-piece 66 `which may beclamped to the rails of the track 13 in advance of the-pivotcar l1. yB v rotating the pull-screw 65, thepivot car ll is pulled forward. y'To rotate this pull- -screw, such screw .is connected by bevel gearing 67 'to a verticalshaft 68 the axis of which coincides with the pivotal aXis between the distance.

frame l0 and pivot car 11and the upper end vof this shaft 68 :is connected by bevel I gearing 69 to a shaft 70 suitably. supported inthe frame l0 and provided at its forward end'with a bevel gear 7l which may -bein'ade to meshwith either of two oppositely facing bevel gears 72 carried by a sleeve 73 splined on a shaft 74 and movable longitudinally thereof by a shift rod 75. The shaft 74 is connected by a chain 76 and suitable sprockets to the shaft 40., `lThus the motor 38 furnishes the power for rotating ythe pull-screw` 65, and can rotate such screw ineither direction according to the position of the shift rod 75. Y s. l'

To 'take the thrust between the `pivot car ll and the frame 10, the pivotal connection between the two is preferably Vprovided by a casting fastened rigidly to the rear end o f the frame lOand both `resting on the upperfface `of the pivot car-,ll and having `a downward cylindrical `extensioni78 which-fits in a p ivot hole `in the pivotcar y111 and through which theishaft 68 extends. lnthis way,;the

shaft 68Y is relieved from .anystressdueito the thrust between the frame l0 .and :the pivot car 1l.` g In operation, the track lfiis'laid some- .what in advance of the pivot car `fll,7the y cross-p1ece 66 is clamped `to such track yin yadvance of the pivot car,;and,,withxthecut ter chain 30 in proper relation tothe shale bank 27, the driving motor .38 :is started intooperation. This drives the y'cutter-chain 30, to cut shale from-they shalebank 427,

which shale dropstotherbottom of the'fbank.

and is fcar'ried iby the lcrossibars 32 ,and 35 and the conveyorfbelt .46 up the trough .4&5

and discharged into the lhQpper .50. The shift lever ,60 is `set to ,causev the Yfllam'e v10 i ,to swing around the axis'lof the sh-aft 68,

by the .drivingactionv of the rollers ,17 .fand 19. When the frame-.reaches'athe end v.of its swing in one direction, the shift" lever isreversed in position to .causefitptotswing in the .other direction, so that -the .frame swings back and forth .infront :of the `shale bank, and the line ofetheicutters 33 is l.c0114 F rom time to time, '.usually at .each end' Aof ilil stantly beingl-'shilfted along such bank.

ino

the swing, the; pivot car is'fedY forward a `short distance.v `usually about an `inch,-lo.y momentarily shifting the shiftrod 7'5 -into the proper position to'cause l.thel pull-screw 465 to be turned in l`-thecrossepiece 66irto move the' pivot -car '.forwardfthe :desired l0 isat the end4v of itsswing, as lbecausefof done without producing any ymaterial'inlovement at that time of they cutters 33fintothe shale bank, and the cutters-.will enter the shalebank as the `frame l0 swings `toward i This forward :movementf of Vthe pivot car ispreferably madenwhenithefranie the length of the swing ,it '.inaythen'be i125 the other end of its swing. Theirollers "1":30

15 and 19 are' of considerable length, so that there may be a considerable forward movement of the frame 10 without requiring a shifting of the rail 14; and without requiring such yrail to be exactly cuived to correspond to the arc of movement. When by the forward shifting of the machine the rear ends of the rollers 15 and 19 come into cooperation with the rail 14:, such rail is shifted forward by crowbars, each end being thus shifted when the frame 10 is at the other end of such rail. From time to time, as necessity requires, the cross-piece 66 is unclamped from the rails of the track 13, and the shift rod is shifted to operate the screw 65 in the reverse direction, thus forcing such cross-piece 66 forward (while the pivot car 11 remains still by reason of the Vweight upon it) until it is again at the forward end of the pull-screw 6 5, whereupon it is again clamped to the rails. As the hopper 50 is filled with the shale cut from` the bank 27, such shale is discharged therefrom as desired into hopper Acars 53, which when filled are pulled away from, the machine along the track 13 to allow other cars tol be substituted for them 'beneath the hopper 50.

I claim as my invention:

1. A shale planer, comprising a pivot; car, a track on which said pivot car is mounted, means for feeding said pivot car forward along lsaid track, va frame pivotally mounted on said pivot car, means in addition to said pivot car for supporting said frame and permittingr it to swing about its pivotal mounting on the pivot car, and a, perpendicularly extending shale-cutting mechanism carried by said frame.

2. A shale planer, comprising a pivot car, means for feeding said pivot car forward, a frame pivotally mounted on said pivot car, means in addition to said pivot car for supporting said frame and permitting it to swing about its pivotal mounting on the pivot car, and a perpendicularly extending shale-cutting mechanism carried by said frame.

3. A shale planer, comprising a pivotcar, a track on which said' pivot car is mounted, a screw projecting forward from said pivot car for pulling the latter forward along said track, means fixedy to the track in advance of said pivot car for cooperating with said screw, a frameJ pivotally mount-ed on said pivot car, means in addition to said pivot car for supporting said frame and permitting it to swing about its pivotal mounting on the pivot car, and shale-cutting mechanism carried by said frame.

4. A shale planer, comprising a pivot car, a screwprojecting forward from said pivot car for pulling the latter forward, means fixed in advance of ksaid pivot car for cooperating with' said'screw, afraine pivotally lmounted onsaidy pivot car, means in addition to said pivot car for supporting said frame and permitting itto-swi'ng ing on the pivot car, shale-cutting mech- `anisin` carried by said frame, power means carried bysaid frame for operating said shale-cutting mechanism, and means for driving said pivot-car-feeding means from said power means. v

6. A shale planer, comprising axpivot car, a screw projectingforward from said pivot car for pullingthe latter forward, lmeans fixed in advance of' said pivot car for cooperating with said screw, a frame'pivotally mounted o n said pivot car,means in addition to said pivot car for supporting said frame and permitting it to swing about'y its pivotal mounting on theA pivotcar, shalecutting mechanism carried by said frame, power means mounted on saidframe forA operating said shale-cutting mechanism, and a controllable driving connection from said power means to saidscrew. l

7. A shale planer, comprising a pivot car, a screw projecting forward from said pivot` car for pulling the latter forward, means fixed in advance of said pivot car for cooperating with said screw, a frame pivotally mounted on said pivot car, means in addition to said pivot car for supporting said frame and permitting it to swing about its pivotal mounting on the pivot car, shalecutting mechanism 'carried byy said frame,` power means mounted on said frame for operating said shale-cutting mechanism, and a controllable driving connection from said power means to said screw, said drivingv connection including a shaft on the pivotal axis on which said frame is mounted on l said ivot car. v

8. shale planer, comprising a pivot car,

means for feeding said pivot car forward, a

frame pivotally mounted on said pivot car,

means in addition to said pivot car for snpg porting said frame and permitting it to swing about its pivotal mounting on the pivot car, a perpendicularly extending shale-cutting mechanism carried by said frame, a hopper supported by said pivot car and fixed relatively thereto, and means i carried by said frame for discharging the cut shale into said hopper.

9. A shale planer, comprising a pivot car,

a track on which said pivot car is mounted, means for feeding said pivot car forward yalong said track,.a frame pivotally ,mounted on said pivot car, means in addition to said pivot car for supportingsaid frame and permitting tto swing about its pivotal mounting on the pivot car, a perpendicularly extending shale-cutting kmechanism carried by said frame, a hopper supported by said pivot car and fixed relatively thereto in position to discharge into a car movable on the same track on which the pivot car is mounted, and means carried by said frame for discharging ythe cut shale into said hopper.

lOQA shale planer, comprising a pivot car, means for feeding' said ypivot car forward, a frame pivotally mounted on said `pivot car, meansln addition to said pivot car forsupportinp,- said frame and permitting it to swing about its pivotal mounting on the pivot car, ,shale-cutting mechanism carried by said frame` a hoppersupportcd by said pivot Acar and fixed `relatively thereto, means carried byfsaid frame .for discharging the cut shale into said hopper, and a brace between said hopper and said frame, said brace having a pivot in the axis on which said frame is connected to said pivot car. Y e

1l. A shale planer, comprising a pivot car, a track on which said pivot car is mounted, means for .feeding said pivot car forward along said track, a frame pivotally mounted o n said pivot car, shale-cutting mechanism carried by said frame, means for supporting the `forward endof said .frame at two laterally separa-ted points, said suppvot car, shale-cutting mechanism canried vby said frame, means for supporting' the forward end of said frame `attwo laterally separated points, said supporting means at one of said points comprising;` a roller, 'a curved rail on which said roller travels, and means for reversibly driving said roller.

13. A shale planer, comprising' a pivot car, means for feeding said ypivot car forward, a frame pivotally mounted on said pivot car, shale-cutting mechanism carried by said frame,` means for supporting ,the forward end of said fra-meat twolaterally separated` points, said supporting meansgat one of said points including a driving roller, two rollers uponl and vbetween which said driving rollerrests, and a curved Ytrack upon which said last two rollers rest so that they may roll thereon, and ymeans for reversibly operating said driving roller.

In witness whereof;l I have hereunto set myhand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 1st day of June, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty-one. e

JOSEPH `KM. POVELL.

reversiblyY A 

